The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-08-06
Cla[lotte's Escape.

Twenty-one years ago on the morn- ing of the 4th of June, 1866, during the time of the Franco Mexican war, there was great excite ment in the city of Mexico, caused by the sudden ap- pearance of the Empress Charlotte, riding on white, swift mare through the streets at full speed. She was without escort, and her course was from the western side of the Palacio Nacional, situated in the heart of the city. The bells of the great cathedral and of every church in the city were ringing regiment of French caval- ry came out from the Palacio Na- cional and went through Plateros Ave, west toward the royal castle of Cha pultepec. Groups of men gathered on corners of the streets and in the cafes, asking each other what it all meant women and children appeared in front of their houses and balconies, making anxious inquiries. Some said the Ls6- erales Rojos (Red Liberals, as the Mexican soldiers fighting for their country were called) had come to lay siege to the city; others that the em- press was near being caught by gang of bandits, but that she made her es- cape ahead of her body-guard of sol diers, or guord q Phonneur; others sur- missed that it was the guerrilla band ofGeneral Aureliano, from the moun- tain of St. Juan, fifty miles from the capital ill pursuit of a French regi- ment carrying provisions for the army; and others affirmed it was French battalion, bribed or suborned by a Mexican general, who, deserting his party, had gone to join the Mexican army.
 Soon the regiment came back con- ducting twelve men, eight of them in an ambulance cart and woman ill a coach. The curiosity of the people increased, but the soldiers had strict orders and did not answer a single question, even to their comrades. However, it was learned that the en- press, while on her way to Chapulte- pee, was assaulted by guerrilla band, that she escaped ahead of her soldiers, who were either killed or seriously wounded, with a single exception. Her dune q honneur was also safe. Charlotte, after this event, no longer frequented her favorite riding place from the Palacia Nacional to the Royal Castle of Chapultepec. In fact, four days afterwards, Maximilian, with his court, went to Olindo (State of More les), his summer residence, to spend part of the summer. While there he received that well-known letter from Napoleon H., saying "he had resolved to abandon him to his o.~a fate" This induced the empress to the ex- traOrdinary resolution of going her. self to Paris, for the purpose of con- ferring with Napoleon, and persuading him to continue his aid to the preca- rious empire. Accordingly she sailed from Vera Cruz on the 8th of July. and reached Paris the 9th of August. The following day she presented her. self at the Palais de St. Cloud, where she had an interview with Napoleon. who received her in very cold man. ner, and refused to help Maximilian any longer, adding that he was going to order a retreat of the entire French army from Mexican soil. The dis heartened empress left Paris and went to Rome, where she was lodged in the Vatican. The next day she gave signs of disturbed mind, and on the 4th of October she was recog- nized as having lost her reason, and was taken to Laeken, near Brussels.
 Maximilian received the sad news about his wife's condition at the same time that Napoleon, urged by the notes of Secretary Seward, ordered the retreat of the French army from Mexico, when the Mexicans, reused like one man, endeavored to complete the expulsion of the invaders. Seeing that everything was against him, the emperor decided to resign his crown and return to Europe. He was on his way to Vera Cruz, his baggage was al- ready on board the frigate .s sDandolo," when he received the letter from his secretary, Eloin, saying, that far from being welcomed by his brother Francis Joseph, emperor of Austria, he would be imprisoned as soon as he dared to step on Austrian soil. God only knows what impression this let ter made on him, and the result was that he resolved to go back to the cap ital and abandon himself to his fate. The end of this unfortunate prince is we'll known, who paid with his life on the hill of Las Campans for the foolishness of lending himself as an in- strument in the hands of the ambi- tious le petd Napoleon.
 In 1878 l was coming from the City of Mexico to Ell Paso, Tex, and by chance met General Aureliano, who is now member of the national congress in the City of Mexico. We| began to talk of the improvements of the country and other topics. When l. -sA A. n